Eight Morris County Sheriff’s Office K9 teams successfully earned regional certifications in narcotics, explosives, and electronics detection.
Morristown, NJ – The Morris County Sheriff’s Office announced that eight K9 teams have successfully completed certification in multiple detection disciplines during the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Region 15 trials.
Sheriff James M. Gannon said the achievements highlight the professionalism and preparedness of the department’s Patrol Division Canine Section.
Key Points
• Eight Morris County Sheriff’s Office K9 teams earned USPCA Region 15 certifications
• Certifications included narcotics, explosives, and electronics detection
• Sergeant John Granato and K9 Rio won the overall “Top Dog” award
Regional certification for specialized detection
According to the sheriff’s office, the K9 teams completed certification testing through the United States Police Canine Association, the nation’s oldest and largest police canine organization.
Founded in 1971, the USPCA trains and certifies police dogs across several disciplines including general patrol, tracking, protection, narcotics detection, explosives detection, arson investigations, fish and game enforcement, and search and rescue.
The certification testing included practical exercises such as line searches, room searches, and vehicle searches designed to evaluate the dogs’ detection capabilities.
Top honors for correctional facility K9 team
Sergeant John Granato and his K9 partner Rio, who are assigned to the Morris County Correctional Facility, received the overall Top Dog Award during the regional event.
Granato and Rio also earned certification in both narcotics detection and electronics detection during the trials.
Multiple K9 teams earn certifications
Several additional Morris County teams earned certification in narcotics detection, including Detective Corporal Marc Adamsky and K9 Xena, Detective Corporal David Marshall and K9 Spendo, Detective Marc Slinger and K9 Zara, Detective Brian McCormack and K9 Abbi, and Sergeant Granato with K9 Rio.
In explosives detection, certifications were earned by Detective David Marshall and K9 Hunter, Detective Marc Slinger and K9 Odie, and Detective Travis Dean with K9 JoJo.
Sheriff Gannon said the certifications ensure Morris County residents can rely on highly trained K9 teams ready to assist in law enforcement operations when needed.